Us Against the Wall
by Rose O'conner
Summary: A lost Childe, a lone biker, and a mad man... What could go wrong?


AN: My first ever game of Vampire. I've been looking forward to playing it for a while and I can't say that I was disappointed. I've started writing down our adventures for your enjoyment as well as my own (hey, it's a story after all). This story is set in our world, not the World of Darkness and we're using Masquerade, not Requiem (blast them for getting rid of the Malkavians!) Reviews are always welcome, and constructive criticism is very appreciated.

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There is little said about the first few hours of new un-life. I believe it is because no one truly remembers. "The Beast," as it is called, awakens enraged and hungry and any semblance of thought is destroyed. What fragile stuff is left of our human minds is over run with the first need of The Beast and only two thoughts remain, kill… and feed.

No one can make sense of the twisted terror that is the first night save maybe a Malkavian, and their own innate understanding of the creature they've become is all that is needed to snap that delicate strand of sanity. I claim to be no different for I do not understand The Beast at all- at least, not the image of it that many other kindred have painted for me. But… that's not entirely true now is it? Some how, in a way, I am different… I remember.

I can recall, with startling clarity, every detail of every moment from the first seconds when that insatiable, maddening hunger first drove my corpse to open its eyes and scramble to its feet in blood lust, to the very last when my new set of gleaming fangs pierced the tender flesh in the hollow of my own father's neck. I can see it as clearly as if I painted it. Even (and this unsettles me the most) controlled it to an extent.

Yes, I am very different. I think that is why my dear sire chose me as his childe after all of those years he refused to create progeny. He sensed something with in me. What it is, and just how it will affect me I haven't quite figured out, but it will come to me in time. And, oh, do I have time…

Chapter one

The Beast

Pain. Fear. Anger. They looped about in an endless cycle. No matter how fast she ran, she could not escape their unflagging wheel, and eventually even continuing to run proved to be something she could only accomplish through sheer force of will. She stumbled to a halt and leaned her aching body against a nearby tree. Despite years of not needing breath, panting still came as a natural reflex, and even with the tireless undead body she possessed, she was far too emotionally exhausted to go any farther. As the blur of panic subsided, her scattered thoughts and memories began to return to her.

"Bernard…" She hissed softly, then suddenly let out a shriek of fury and slammed a balled fist into the tree. The pine bent awkwardly and splintered, but otherwise stayed standing. She choked back a sob as tears began to claw their way to her eyes and she sank to the soft earth. Hugging her knees tightly to her chest, she let the stinging bitter tears fall as she murmured to the darkness.

"Bernard… Oh, what have I done? I'm so sorry, Bernard!"

For a long while nothing changed. She sat there beneath the tree, alone, tired and terrified. The occasional call of the night woods comforted her, and feel and smell of her home surrounded and assured her, but nothing could drive away the unsettled feeling of being stalked by a present danger. When she heard the twig-snap a few yards away, She was up in the tree before she even registered her own movement. Crouching in the thick branches, she scanned the forest floor for the intruder. It wasn't long before he came into view.

He didn't appear to be a hunter, not that he could hunt much of anything in his getup. A lime green shirt and pants covered by a black and white checkered trench coat, topped off with wild red hair ensured he stood out anywhere. He didn't even fit the bill of lost hiker. The girl cocked her head in a curious expression and continued to watch nervously from her perch. The strange man strolled leisurely through the brush, with seemingly no purpose at all. He paused beneath her tree and slowly tilted his head back till he was looking strait at her hiding place.

_He can't see me…_ she began to reason, _There's no way he can see-_

"Heeeere kitty, kitty, kitty…" He called softly. A sudden shock of fear gripped her and she hissed at the intruder. The man frowned but didn't move.

"Get down here," he demanded. She didn't comply.

"Why should I?" she shot back.

" 'Cause no one's looking for you anymore." His voice was utterly without pitch and fluctuation. A dreadful monotone that managed to keep interest in what he was saying, but hinted at no connection to his feelings. She blinked. Surprised, and a little intrigued she lowered her guard.

"Who are you?"

"Vince, who are you?" She hesitated a moment then answered.

"Ariel." The man smiled then began walking away.

"Come on, let's go," He said without a backward glance.

"Hey! Wait!" She called after him, scurrying down the tree as quickly as she could, "where are we going?"

"Spokane."

"The city?" She halted mid climb, hesitating again, "Why?"

"You don't have any place else to go," he answered matter-of-factly.

"Look," she said as she leaped the rest of the way to the ground, "my sire's in trouble. I need to find help before something happens to him. I need to-"

"You'll find help in the city," he remarked off-handed.

"Are… you sure?"

"Yup."

"…Alright," she heeded him reluctantly.

"Before we go, there's one more person to find."

"Who?"

"You'll see." They walked in silence for a long moment till Ariel spoke up once more.

"Hey, Vince?"

"Yes."

"I'm hungry."


End file.
